By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East has been refused access to a government support scheme to help its ballooning special needs budget deficit.
The deficit looks set to be an eye-watering £285 million by 2031, despite mitigation measures.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council’s ballooning special needs budget deficit is so serious it “threatens the very existence of the council”, a councillor said.
The DSG (dedicated school grant) deficit currently stands at about £90 million.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council would have to increase council tax by 20% just to cover the deficit in its special needs budget, the council leader has said.
Cllr Sam Corcoran (Lab) has called on all councillors to look into the SEND provision (special educational needs and disabilities) so they can debate the issue at the next meeting of full council and come up with suggestions as to how the system can be improved.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
Cheshire East Council’s current £46.9m deficit on its special educational needs budget is forecast to rise to a whopping £306.9m by 2028.
Councils across the UK are struggling with massive deficits in their dedicated schools grant budget because funding has not matched soaring demand and spiralling costs.
Exclusive
Devastated parents of an autistic Nantwich boy say they were given just 48-hours’ notice that he was not welcome back in school – despite spending the previous six years there.
His parents are now demanding an apology after the bombshell news that his primary school was no longer able to provide for his needs.
Brine Leas School in Nantwich has maintained its “good” rating after the latest Ofsted inspection.
Inspectors visited the Audlem Road school in May.
By Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter
The new primary school planned for Kingsbourne in Nantwich could provide additional places for children with Special Educational Needs (SEND).
Members of Cheshire East’s children and families committee heard from acting director of education Mark Bayley that the need for extra provision in the town had been highlighted during the recent consultation.
Childcare inspectors say services for children with special educational needs (SEND) across Cheshire East have been “transformed”.
It comes three years after an earlier report highlighted “significant weaknesses” in the provision.
A South Cheshire school which supports children with educational needs has now moved to a permanent location.
Axis Academy is for pupils with an Education Health Care Plan for Social Emotional and Mental Health.
Two new special schools catering for children aged between four and 18 across Cheshire East are set to open.
The schools, Axis Academy and Lavender Field School, aim to cater for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), such as those with social, emotional and mental health needs.
By Stephen Topping
Urgent measures to improve support for youngsters in Cheshire East with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) have been drawn up following a damning inspection.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found “serious weaknesses” when they assessed Cheshire East Council and NHS bodies in the borough on their provision for SEND support in March.
By Stephen Topping
Ofsted inspectors have criticised Cheshire East Council for “serious weaknesses” in its services for youngsters with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).
Now the authority has to provide a ‘Written Statement’ to Ofsted to outline how it intends to improve.
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